About Me

Gail is the New York Times bestselling author of the Parasol Protectorate and the Finishing School series. She is obsessed with vintage fashion and retro style including steampunk. Gail is also on Facebook, Twitter & Tumblr. Subscribe to Gail's newsletter ~ Miss Carriger's Monthly Chirrup! http://www.gailcarriger.com/contact

And now, for today's blog post, Gentle Reader, I have to you 5 Questions of Etiquette.

1. How are people introduced?

Youth is introduced to age. "Wolverine, may I present Doogie Howser?"

Men are introduced to women. "Eddie Izzard in drag, may I present Eddie Izzard out of drag?"

Lower ranks are introduced to higher. "Countess Nadasdy, may I present Miss Dimity?"

Individuals
are introduced to groups. "Ladies of Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing
Academy, may I present Sophronia Temminnick?"

2. How do you cut someone?

The Cut: To ignore the existence, or avoid the presence, of a person.

The Cut Direct: To look an acquaintance in the face, and pretend not to remember her.

The Cut Modest (Indirect): To look anywhere but at her.

The Cut Courteous: To forget names with good grace; as, instead of Sophronia to address an old friend with 'Madam,' or 'Miss...'

The Cut Obtuse:
If slightly known to a fellow traveler, the cutter insists he never was
at the place, nor on the vessel mentioned; and may even deny his own
name.

The Cut Celestial: To be intentionally engaged in observation of the skies when an acquaintance passes.

A note: by
tradition gentlemen may never cut ladies (this reflects badly upon him,
not her). A lady may cut a gentleman, or another lady, or even a
couple, for extremely bad behavior. (Like serving the wrong tea.)

Gossiping Ladies Punch June 8, 1895

3.
Is there a published set of rules by which males in the Victorian era
were expected to approach and express interest in females?
Not
that I can pull out of a hat at short notice, although some of my
readers out there know differently (and will probably comment below).
There might be something in What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-the Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England,
but I haven't consulted it recently. I would urge caution not to rely
on characters from Austen as, in her very subtle way, she is often
breaking the rules of courtship, in order to comment on society as a
whole. Dickens, of course is more interested in the lower echelons of
society, and he too is writing human-interest stories that involve, by
their very nature, tampering with social convention. You might look
later in time, oddly Wooster in P.G. Wodehouse's 1920s setting books,
behaves (around women) in a rather Victorian manner. It's part of the
way Wodehouse is driving conflict.

4. Is there a published set of rules for the converse direction?
Again,
I don't know, but a good general rule is that (as with conjugal
relations) a lady always starts the conversation and a gentleman always
finishes it, and in the middle the gentleman should act more than he
talks. He is responsible for fetching things the lady needs (e.g. tea,
punch, fan, dance card) and discussing topics that a lady might find
congenial (e.g. weather, fashion, dance, food, society) nothing too
personal or intrusive.

1851 Punch

5. Were the rules different depending on social class?
Absolutely,
completely different. They were also dependent on ethnicity and
location of said middle and lower classes as well, both within and
outside of London. In general, the middle class from about 1840 on was far more
strict about observance of social rules than the upper class for whom,
particularly the gentlemen, many of the rules were strangely lax
(possibly because they were dabbling with whores). In this respect, we
see very high-class men using low class slang but in their Eton accent
(when around other gentlemen), while the middle class try to imitate
what they think is high class and taking it too far (nouveau riche).
And, of course, if you are blue blooded enough almost any eccentricity
could be forgiven in both men and older married/widowed women. (A note
on the military ~ kept mainly isolated when they returned from (often)
decades of fighting abroad, they had their own kind of culture and
interactions. The officers (purchased commission) did reintegrate
somewhat into society but it could be difficult for them. There is a
reason military men usually married the daughters of other military
men.)

Lastly, a word on outside influences, and this from my
archaeology background. Victorian England did not exist in a bubble.
Much as they hated to admit it, London especially was open to influence
from across the channel and across the pond ~ dress, society, food,
technology, and language. Victorians were cooking with pasta and calling
fashion, objects, cuisine, and behavior by French titles. In addition
to the middle class trying to break into high society, moneyed (via
industry) Americans were traipsing over, particularly in the 1870s and
80s, to Get Culture through education or marriage (i.e. The Buccaneers
unfinished last novel of Edith Wharton). All of these components had
their effect on what we, all too often think of as, those isolated
Victorians.

BIG
FAT SPOILER ALERT on the Parasol Protectorate series! Really, DON'T
READ THE BLURB ON AMAZON if you haven't read the other books first!
The Omnibus hardback editions are limited run through the SciFi Bookclub only.
The manga editions, both now available in print.
Most short stories available in ebook form world wide!
The first Finishing School book ~ Out Feb. 5, 2013

Book News:
Did you miss the part where E&E releases tomorrow? Eek!Little Library Muse
says, “Overall, loaded with fun and mischief, this is an absolutely
good read that made me giggle on occasion at its cheeky humor.”

Quote of the Day:
"After
all, one knows one's weak points so well, that it's rather bewildering
to have the critics overlook them and invent others."
~ Edith Wharton

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